Headset



July 26, 1960 R. E. JANSEN ETAI- HEADSET Filed Jan. s, 1957 vw N IN VENTORS. Kizara? E. emJeJz aber E. Ulrich TZURNEYI United States Patent@hice HEADSET Richard E. Jansen, Runnemede, and Robert E. Ulrich,Riverton, NJ., assignors to Radio `Corporation of America, a corporationof Delaware Filed Jan. r3, 1957, Ser. No. 632,363

7 Claims. (Cl. 179-156) The present invention relates to apparatus forsupporting devices to be worn on the human head, and more particularlyto headsets for carrying earphones, ear protectors, or other devices.

Headsets have recently become more complex, bulky and expensive due tothe need for greater noise exclusion. Where the environment in which theheadset is used includes jet engines or other equipment, which generatesnoise of huge magnitudes, the noise exclusion capability is a primaryconsideration. A headset, constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, is capable of reducing noise, such as may be produced by ajet engine, and eliminates the disadvantages of headsets that wereheretofore available.

Briefly described, the invention in an illustrative embodi'ment thereofincludes a pair of earpieces thatV can encase the ear of a wearer. Aheadrest supports the earpieces on the head and is provided with a pairof ilexible spring members shaped to fit over the top of the head. Thesemembers maybe spaced laterally from each other. A band of iiexiblematerial, such as a soft plastic material, may be attached to theflexible spring members to maintain them in any desired position. Theends of the iiexible members are secured, in pairs, on opposite sides ofthe earpieces by means which permit independent universal movement ofthe members with respect to the earpieces.

The general flexibility of the headset and the adjustability of theearpieces with respect to the headrest makes it possible for a headsetprovided by the present invention to lit substantially all human headsregardless of shape. The degree of noise exclusion provided by a headsetis dependent upon the lit of the headset on the head. The presentinvention provides a headset which is universally adjustable so that aproper fit may be readily obtained. It has been found that the headsetof this invention is automatically adjusting accordingnto the workingposition of the wearer and ts properly regardiess of working position.Comfort to the wearer is concomitant with proper adjustment in the caseof a headset. The present invention therefore provides for greater noiseexclusion and comfort to the wearer of the headset than possible withheretofore available headsets.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved headsetsfor carrying telephone receivers, ear protectors, and other devices tobe worn on the head for cooperation with the ears of the wearer.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedheadset which is universally and automatically adjusting withoutcomplicated adjustment devices.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide animproved headset which is less bulky, lighter and lower in cost thanheadsets heretofore available.

'Other objects and advantages of the present invention will, of course,become apparent and immediately suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art to which the invenasa-ases Patented July 25, i560 tion isdirected from a reading of the following description in connection withthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a headset constructed in accordance with thepresent invention; and

Fig. 2 is a side view of the headset shown in Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that the headset consistsor" a headrest 10 and a pair of earpieces i2' and 14. The headrest isconstructed of a pair of spring wires 16 and 18. These wires may be madeof stainless steel. The wires are shaped to conform to the shape of thehead and are maintained in general arcuate parallel relationship. Aheadband 20 is attached to each of the wires 16 and 18 to provide aunitary structure, and maintains the Wires in proper spacedrelationship. lt is desirable that the headband be formed of some soft,flexible material. The band may be extruded, if desired, and providedwith parallel holes 22, 24, 26 and 28 running longitudinallytherethrough. The wires 16 and 18 may be inserted through the outer onesof these holes 22 and 24. The inner ones of these holes 26 and 28 may beused as conduits for electrical wiring to be connected to telephonereceivers which may be included in the earpieces 12 and 14. The headbandmay be ribbed on its upper surface, as shown in the drawing, fordecorative purposes. ln order to increase the iiexibility of theheadband and the consequent adjustability of the headset, a V-shapednotch 3% may be cut in the headband 2S at the opposite ends thereof. Theend portions of the Wires 16 and 18 are oppositely disposed from eachother. The earpieces 12 and 14 are slidably mounted on the end portionsofthe wires.

Each of the earpieces 12 and 14 is provided by a cupshaped case 32having a ilange 34 formed integrally with the edge thereof. The flange34 is provided with a plurality of convolutions so as to generallyconform to the region surrounding the human ear. The case 32. may bemolded from a suitable plastic resin such as that sold under the tradename Cycolac by the Marbon Chemical Company. Earcaps 36 of soft,flexible material may be attached to the ilanges 34 of each of theearpieces 12 and 14.

In order to provide the features of automatic and universal adjustmentof the earpieces on the ear, novel means are provided for attaching theheadrest 10 to each of the earpieces 12 and 14. Appendages 33, which maybe molded integrally with the case 32 of the earpieces i2 and 14, areused. These appendages extend laterally from theearpieces and are in theform or projections which provide cup-like cavities. A washer element 40is disposed in the cavity of each of the appendages 38. This washer', itmay be noted, is universally movable With respect to the earpieces andmay be readily inserted and removed from the cavity. The hole in thewasher 40 is of slightly smaller diameter than the diameter of the wires16 and 18. The top and bottom projections, which form the appendages 33,are provided with holes. The diameter of these holes is considerablylarger than the diameter of the holes in the washers 4?. However, theholes are Smaller than the outside diameter or" the Washer 4t) so thatthe washer cannot drop out of the cavity through the holes in theprojections.

The wires 16 and 18 are inserted through the cavities andA extendthrough the holes in the washers 40. The washers may be made from someexible plastic material such as Teon Consequently, the wires areslidable in the washers. Other washers 42 may be securely fastened, asby cementing, to the wires 16 and 18. A cup washer 44 may be fastened tothe bottom of the ends of each of the wires 16 and 18.

The tit of the wires in the washers 4G is such as to permit theearpieces to be slidably adjusted in a longitudinal direction on thewires 16 and 18. The washers 42 and 44 limit the motion of the earpieces12 and 14 with respect to the wires 16 and 18 and prevent the earpieces16 and 18Y from dropping from the wires. Since two wires 16 andlS areused, the earpieces may be ro tated about their axes to an appreciabledegree. The loose t of the washer 40 in the cavity also permits theearpieces 12 and 14 to be pivoted about the transverse axis runninglaterally thereof. The flexibility in the headband 20 and the wires 16and 18 also permits the earpieces 12 and 14 to pivot about alongitudinal axis. Thus, it can be seen that the earpieces areuniversally adjustable.

It has been found that the earpieces are automatically adjusting withthe working position of the wearer.

The invention therefore, provides a headset that can be worn withgreater comfort than headsets heretofore available. Thesimplicity ofconstruction and the limited number of parts also provide a headset thatis lower in cost than headsets heretofore available.

What is claimed is:

1. A headset comprising a pair of earpieces, each of said earpieceshaving a pair of cavities therein, said cavities being spaced from eachother, a pair of elements smaller than said cavities and individuallydisposed therein, each of said elements being universally movable withrespect to said earpieces, each of said elements having a hole extendingtherethrough, and a headrest having pairs of laterally spaced members atopposite ends thereof, said members being slidably inserted through saidholes in diiferent ones of said elements so as to frictionally engagesaid elements whereby said earpieces are attached to said headrest so asto be pivotally and slidably adjustable with respect thereto.

2. A headset comprising a pair of earpieces, a -headrest for supportingsaid earpieces near the opposite ends of said headrest, universallyadjustable means on each of said earpieces whereby said earpieces Vareattached to said headrest, said means including a 'pair of pivotalelements mounted in each of said earpieces at laterally spaced positionsthereon, said elements each having a hole extending therethrough, saidheadrest having a pair of spaced members extending in the same directionat each of said opposite ends thereof, said end members in one of said-pairs thereof being slidably inserted through said holes in saidelements of 'one of said earpieces, said end members of the other ofsaid pairs thereof being slidably inserted through the holes of theelements of the other of said earpieces, and said elements frictionallyengaging each of said end members so as to attach said earpieces on saidheadrest.

3. A headset comprising a pair of earpieces, a headrest including a pairof spring members shaped to conform to the head, said spring membershaving central portions, a exible headband connecting the centralportions of said spring members, said earpieces being supported by saidheadrest at opposite ends of said pair of spring members, means includedin said earpieces for attaching said earpieces to said opposite ends ofsaid pairs of spring members whereby said earpieces are universallyadjustable with respect to said headrest, said means comprisinglaterally spaced appendages extending from said earpieces, saidappendages each defining a appendages and being slidably insertedthrough said holes in said Washer elements, and said washer elementsfrictionally engaging said members to secure said members to saidearpieces.

4. A headset comprising a pair of earpieces, each of said earpieceshaving a pair of laterally extending projections, said pairs ofprojections being laterally spaced from each other, each of saidprojections in said pair being longitudinally displaced from the other,a washer element having a hole therethrough positioned between theprojections in each of said pair thereof, each of said projectionshaving aligned holes therein of larger diameter than the hole in saidwasher element, a headrest having laterally spaced wires at oppositeends thereof, one of the opposite ends of said wires in one of saidpairs thereof being inserted through said holes in said projections ofone of said earpieces and said holes in said elements therein, and theothers of the opposite ends of said wires in the other of said pairsthereof being inserted through said holes in said projections in theother of said earpieces and said washer elements therein, thecross-section of said wires being larger than the cross-section of saidholes in said washers whereby said wires are frictionally held in saidwashers for supporting said earpieces on said headrest.

5. A headset comprising a headrest including a pair of spring wireshaving arcuate central portions extending to oppositely disposed endportions, said wires being laterally spaced from each other, `a headbandof solid flexible material for maintaining said central portions of saidwires in parallel arcuate relationship, a pair of earpieces supported inopposed relationship at Vsaid end portions of said wires, a pair ofcup-like appendages projecting laterally from each of said earpieces,washer elements each having a hole therein being disposed in each ofsaid cuplike appendages, said washer elements being smaller than saidcup-like appendages, and said wires extending through a different one ofsaid appendages and through said hole in said Washer element therein,said washers frictionally engaging said wires for adjustably supportingsaid earpieces on said headrest.

6. The headset according to claim 5 wherein said headband is providedwith a pair `of longitudinally, laterally spaced holes therethrough,each of said wires being disposed in a diiferent one of said holes, saidheadband also having generally V-shaped notches therein at the endsthereof.

7. A headset comprising an earpiece, said earpiece having a pair ofcavities therein, said cavities being spaced from each other, a pair ofelements smaller than saidv cavities and disposed individually in saidcavities, each of said elements being universally movable with respectto said earpiece, each of said elements having a hole extendingtherethrough, and a headrest having a pair of laterally spaced membersextending from one end thereof, said members being slidably insertedthrough said holes in said element to frictionally engage said elementswhereby said earpiece is attached to said vheadrest so as to bepivotally and slidably adjustable with respect thereto.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,452,851 Schmidt Apr. 24, 1923 1,616,491 Green v Feb. S, 1927 2,149,341Garrison Mar. 7, 1939 2,408,720 Alger Oct.` 8, 1946

